Album Review – “Pretty on the Inside” by Hole

“Pretty on the Inside” by Hole is the album that I have randomly picked to review. This random picking, for anyone who is interested, consists of putting my iPod on shuffle and reviewing whichever album the first song that comes on is from. These reviews may not be classic review style, in every manner, as I tend to drift off into my own interpretations sometimes, but I will try.

“Pretty on the Inside” by Hole, released September 17th, 1991, is the band’s debut album, and a personal favorite of mine, ever since I listened to the short track entitled “Pretty on The inside.” The album is of the punk/alternative genre, I think, but it is very hard to place a genre on this unique album.

The first thing that struck me about “Pretty on the Inside” was how it was fantastically noisy, but still somehow melodic. Think angels with flaking wings and halos made of broken glass. Each track fitted perfectly to this insane non-existent theme that was like sugar and rot. Some songs, such as “Garbadge Man” were well-structured in a uniform manner, whereas my personal favorite from this album, the song “Mrs Jones” was very nearly an endless stream of free-flowing lyrics. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did. “Mrs Jones” was my favorite because of its gruesome imagery, contrasting images like “Stare into the bloodrot, you suicide bitch/it takes an hour like you to make me wanna live” and phrases like “on the sugar star” and “baby angels.” It was a song with a nightmarish, infinite quality that makes it, for me, the masterpiece of the album.

I would recommend this album for fans of Bikini Kill, Babes in Toyland, and maybe even Nirvana fans like myself that can look past accusations made at vocalist/frontwoman Courtney Love, and just appreciate that her lyrics are works of dark genius. “Pretty on the Inside” is my favorite album by Hole, and I would urge everyone to give it at least one listen. It is not for everybody, as some may find it offensive, or be repelled by the noisy, unforgiving, unpolished punk-rock sound, and in my opinion, you either love it or you hate it, there is no grey area.